Rebel Labour MP Rachael Maskell has warned that Parliament needs to represent all parts of society - not just those who voted in favour of Brexit.

The York Central representative was among the 47 Labour MPs to vote against triggering Article 50, having resigned from the Shadow Cabinet in protest at Jeremy Corbyn's three-line whip to vote in favour.

Speaking to Good Morning Britain, she said her constituency had voted to remain in the EU, and she felt it was important to ensure their views were represented in the Commons.

It is about representing the voices out there - we can't just be a Parliament for 52 per cent of the country, which is what the government wants to do.

We've got 100 per cent of people living in our country that are obviously concerned about their future, and what's really important is that Parliament reflects that, reflects the diversity of different parts of our country.

Two Labour MPs have announced their resignations ahead of the Brexit bill vote.

Shadow environment secretary Rachael Maskell and Shadow minister for diverse communities Dawn Butler confirmed their resignations after revealing they will defy the Labour whip to vote against triggering Article 50.

Maskell posted a statement giving her reasons for resigning on her official blog, stating that "The UK is no longer being offered a ‘people’s Brexit’ but a ‘Theresa May Brexit’, which goes far beyond just leaving the European Union, as voted on at the referendum last June".

While Butler made her announcement on Twitter saying she "can't let down future generations".

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Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn reacted to the news of the resignations saying he could "understand the difficulties that MPs for constituencies which voted Remain have in relation to the European Union withdrawal Bill" but that the party as a whole had a "duty" to respect the outcome of the referendum vote.

Margaret Thatcher would not have supported Brexit, or having an In-Out referendum on the EU at all, according to one of her most senior policy advisers.

Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher and deputy leader William Whitelaw during a Conservative Group for Europe Press conference in 1975 Credit: PA Archive

Lord Charles Powell of Bayswater, the former prime minister's closest foreign policy adviser while she was in Number 10, said Mrs Thatcher had "no truck" with referendums and wanted to change the EU from within.

Speaking to The Observer, he said the late leader would have "avoided getting trapped" by the referendum promise.

Of course she got fed up with [Europe], but I don't believe that as prime minister she would ever have campaigned to take Britain out of Europe, or had a referendum to allow that to happen.

She wanted to change Europe, and she set out to change it with great vigour, but I don't believe she would have chosen this way, and she would have avoided getting trapped by the referendum promise.

She never had any truck with referendums and frequently spoke out against them.